Kakashi-sensei's Tardiness: Searching Underneath the Underneath
by DrProfessor756
Summary: Upgraded to three-shot. Team 7 is fed up with Kakashi's constant tardiness. Following their sensei's advice, the gang decides to discover the true reason for his lateness. What will team 7 discover when they search underneath the underneath? Perhaps Kakashi-sensei hasn't been completely dishonest with his team.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. Tite Kubo owns bleach. **

"How long is Kakashi-sensei going to keep us waiting, I'm so bored" Naruto whined, his frantic pacing and obnoxious complaints getting on the nerves of his two teammates.

"Naruto, I'm sure Kakashi sensei has a reasonable explanation as to why he's late." Sakura responded, her calm façade a total misrepresentation of her own thoughts. _Cha, If sensei comes up with another one of his lame excuses we're gonna pulverize him._ "Just shut up and stay still Naruto, he'll show up eventually, he always does."

"But Sakura, I can't be the only one getting impatient, besides how am I ever gonna become hokage spending half the day waiting for our Kakashi-sensei to show up. You're on my side, aren't you Sasuke?

"Hn, a dobe like you doesn't have a chance of becoming Hokage." _If I keep spending my training time waiting for Kakashi I'll never become strong enough to surpass Itachi._

"What did you say Sasuke teme?" Before Sakura's fist could make contact with Naruto's head a poof of smoke appeared in the middle of the training ground, a familiar masked shinobi appearing before the three.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted his students with his trademark eye crinkle and two fingered salute. _And cue the standard response in 3….2….1…. _

"You're late!" _Well at least Naruto and Sakura appear to have teamwork somewhat figured out, now if I could only get Sasuke to join them._

"Sorry about that, a black cat crossed my path and I ended up taking the long way."

"Liar!" came the dual response from Naruto and Sakura.

"Well, let's get started, shall we?" Kakashi ordered.

As the sun began to set, the three genin were lying in various parts of the training field, all three of them in various levels of fatigue both mental and physical. Perched on a tree branch, a familiar orange book in hand, he looked towards his three students. "Well, I suppose that's enough training for today, get some rest and I will see you guys tomorrow, 9am sharp." With that said Kakashi shushined away, leaving his three genin to seethe in their anger.

"Maybe he should follow his own instructions and be here on time for once. At least then we won't have to cram a day's worth of training into the half day he spends training us." Sakura whined.

"Well I'm not gonna stand around and let this happen, we gotta do something about Kakashi-sensei. If we all work together I know we can get him to be on time, believe it!" encouraged Naruto.

"Yeah, because that worked out so well the last time we got together against Kakashi-sensei. Remember when we tried to see what he was hiding under his mask?" Sakura replied feigning disinterest in Naruto's foolish endeavor. _Cha, whatever it takes, let's start by burning those stupid books he loves so much._

"First thing we have to do is find out what's really keeping him from arriving on time, he doesn't strike me as the type to sleep in. Once we figure that out we move on from there." Sasuke stated, much to the shock of both his teammates. _I'll never become strong enough wasting my time waiting for Kakashi to show up whenever he pleases._ _For once the dobe is right, something must be done. _ "Let's meet up tomorrow morning at 8, by the memorial stone. He's sure to be there from what we learned about him before."

"Great idea Sasuke-kun, we'll fix Kakashi-sensei for sure" Sakura praised, much to Naruto's dismay.

"Hey, I came up with the idea first, so I deserve the credit" but Naruto's objections fell on death ears, as both his teammates were already returning to their homes, anxious to solve another mystery surrounding the elusive copy ninja.

**The Following Morning**

All three genin arrived at the memorial site, hidden amongst the foliage, their eyes glued to the silver haired jonin standing in front of the memorial stone.

"I don't get it, it's been almost an hour and he has even moved a muscle" Naruto whispered. "What the hell is he up to?"

"Naruto, he's obviously paying his respects to those killed in action, he's probably lost someone close to him." Sakura replied, memories of their first training day still fresh in her mind.

"Quiet you two, looks like he's moving" Sasuke ordered. "Think you two can manage to be discreet this time around?" Memories of the previous failures in follow their sensei still haunting him.

"Of course, discreet is what I do best." Naruto yelled, fist in the air, oblivious to the irony of his current actions. His teammates sweat dropped, amazed at how dense Naruto was capable of being.

And so the three genin followed their sensei as he made his way through the village, orange book in hand. Much to their surprise, it appeared as if he was indeed heading towards the training ground, with some ten minutes to spare.

"Maybe he's on to us" Sakura observed. "If he gets there and we aren't at the training grounds he'll kill us for sure."

"I knew the dobe was going to give us away, now we're all going to suffer because of your lack of skill" Sasuke accused. Before Naruto could retaliate, Kakashi had suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Slightly ahead of him was a black cat with golden eyes, its stare fixated on the masked shinobi.

"Well what da ya know, looks like Kakashi-sensei been telling the truth after all" Naruto stated. "Guess we kinda owe sensei an apology, he wasn't completely lying."

But instead of altering his course away from the feline, the copy ninja proceeded to follow the cat as it made its way through the village, with his three students following the scene from a safe distance. Eventually the cat skillfully climbed the jonin's body, resting atop his shoulder, purring in satisfaction as he continued his stroll through the village. After walking a few more steps, the silver haired shinobi and his furry friend vanished in thin air, leaving the voyeur students utterly bewildered by the strange turn of events.

"Strange, I never thought sensei was a cat person" Sakura commented.

"There has to be more to that cat than meets the eye" Sasuke added._ I can't imagine a world famous ninja like Kakashi having a soft spot for your average everyday street cat. He's always going on about looking underneath the underneath._

"That's right, and we'll get to the bottom of this no matter what, believe it" Naruto encouraged, egging on his teammates to continue their task. "For all we know, Kakashi-sensei could be a spy for another village, and the cat is how he communicates to the enemy village. Or maybe it's an evil ninja cat, and it uses a mind control jutsu to control Kakashi-sensei, the first step in its plot to world domination. Or what if…"

Naruto's rambling was cut short by a well-placed fist from team 7's short fused kunoichi. "Naruto you big dummy, stop trying to scare me."

"But Sakura, all I'm saying is that with Kakashi-sensei anything could be possible." Naruto countered battered and bloodied from Sakura's attack.

"Hn, either way we should start investigating the cat. It's bound to lead to some answers" Sasuke concluded. "Let's head back to the training grounds, we can continue our search after training."

**After Training**

"Well, that should be it for today, you've done well, take the day off tomorrow to recuperate." A grinning Kakashi announced to his three exhausted genin as he headed back towards the village. Unbeknownst to the copy ninja, his students were planning their next plan of attack concerning his feline friend.

"Alright, let's find us that furball" Naruto exclaimed. Jumping to his feet, eagerness to achieve his objective oozing off him, he set out for the village.

"Sorry guys, it's getting kind of late so I won't be able to help you guys look for it until tomorrow" Sakura apologized, as she made her way off the training grounds.

"Bye Sakura-chan and don't worry, by tomorrow me and Sasuke will already have this mystery all figured out, believe it!"

"Dobe, do you even know where to begin to look?" Sasuke interrupted, slightly annoyed at his teammate's boastful proclamation.

"Well, it's just a stupid cat, how hard can it be to find? Besides, we've done plenty of missions looking for that other stupid cat, Tora." Naruto countered, his motivation not faltering in the least. "I'll just use my shadow clones to search the entire village, I'll let you know when I've found it." Suddenly a multitude of clones appeared, each sharing the same cocky expression of the original. "You know what to do, now scatter!"

Within the hour Naruto had found the target just outside of the women's hot springs, lounging atop the fence prohibiting any unwanted eyes from looking in. "Okay, so we found it, now what do we do Sasuke?"

"We wait and keep a close eye on it" Sasuke answered. _For all we know it's just an ordinary cat and Kakashi is just playing a game on us. With his twisted sense of humor I wouldn't put it past him. _

Suddenly the cat stretched its legs and hopped over the fence and into the hot springs. "Just great, now what do we do, I'm not risking getting caught peeping into the women's hot springs." Naruto complained, when his answer came to him, music to his ears, more like a certain perverted giggle.

"Pervy sage, we need your help." Naruto addressed the sanin, Sasuke by his side attempting to look uninterested.

"Ah, so you finally decided to help assist me in my research, but I've gotta say I'm surprised you're here too" Jiraya responded, referring to the Uchiha's presence.

"Research, more like peeping on women you old pervert. Anyways, while your conducting your 'research' could you tell us if you see a black cat in there" Naruto asked.

"A cat, why would I bother with that when there are much more pleasant specimens I could be enjoying" Jiraya answered, his focus fixated on his telescope when suddenly the said creature came into his view. "Yeah, your dumb cat is in there alright, what so special about it anyway?" Jiraya asked as he faced Naruto, curious as to why it captured his interest.

"Something weird is going on with that cat, Kakashi-sensei sure seems fond of it though. He doesn't let it out of his sight. He even lets it lounge on his shoulder, rubbing up against his face" Naruto answered.

Turning his attention back towards his telescope, Jiraya found himself staring straight into the golden eyes of the feline. _Ha, looks like that cat is the closest Kakashi is ever going to get to some pus…._ His thoughts were interrupted when the cat suddenly transformed itself into a beautiful woman. Purple hair, tan skin, eyes that shined like gold, and to top it all off she appeared before him in all her naked glory, a smirk gracing her face. His heart had temporary given out, the extreme blood loss through his nose the most likely cause. All the blood and commotion alerted the rest of the women of their unwanted guests, forcing the pair of genin to abandon their mission for the time being.

**A few days after the hot springs incident**

The three genin found themselves in a familiar position at the training grounds, waiting for their aloof sensei hours past the schedule meeting time. Frustrating didn't even begin to describe the past few days for the trio, as attempt after attempt to discover something about the infamous copy ninja through the cat failed. Naruto noted that the cat was every bit as elusive as Kakashi himself, it not more so. At one point, as their desperation grew, the strategy changed from following its day to day activity to a straight up capture of the shifty feline. The results were as painful physically as they were frustrating, never managing to close enough to the creature. It was quite literally a game of cat and mouse, three genin in place of the mouse.

"I give up" Sakura sighed, falling to the ground with a look of total exhaustion at the trouble a seemingly simple creature had given them. "This is even worse than when we tried to look under sensei's mask."

"Hn" Sasuke grunted out, his attempt at appearing cool and stoic floundering as his true feelings on the events of the past few days began to take a toll on him.

"Tell me about it, and the worst part is now I've got pervy sage bugging me all the time about that damn cat. Talking about it being perfect for a new series he wants to start writing." Naruto complained. His once high levels of motivation and excitement on the subject squashed. Realizing this was the norm when dealing with their infamous sensei, Kakashi Hatake.

"Yo" came the greeting from the masked shinobi, eye crinkle in tow. "Sorry I'm late, a black cat crossed my path, and you know the rest. I swear it must the same cat, must be stalking me. _And cue their enraged response in 3….2….1…. _When the familiar accusation never came, Kakashi immediately noticed the varying looks of exhaustion plastered on the faces of his young students. "You three don't look so good, I haven't been pushing you guys that hard, have I?"

Gathering up all the courage she could muster, Sakura responded, avoiding direct eye contact with Kakashi. "Of course not sensei, just a little tired from walking the road of life." _Cha, I can dish out the lame excuses as good as you. How's it feel sensei?_

"Ah, I know exactly what you mean" he responded. _Note to self: these three are definitely hiding something. The real question is should I be concerned… no to troublesome. _"Alright then, let's continue our training." Pulling out his familiar orange book, he began to instruct the three genin on the day's training regime as was the norm when a black streak interrupted him. Perched atop a tree branch was the cause of team 7's pain and frustration, now including the copy ninja himself, seeing his precious book in the feline's clutches.

"Hey, it's that stupid cat again!" Naruto screamed standing fast and alert, his teammates mirroring his actions.

"Again, am I to assume you've already met before" Kakashi questioned, maintaining his laid back posture, face portraying no emotion after the initial shock of being forcibly removed from his romance novel.

Before his students could respond, a deep male voice answered from above, amusement evident in its voice. "Oh yes, we've met already and may I say that teasing them is even more entertaining than you described. I think I've teased them more than enough if their looks are anything to go by, maybe now we can properly be introduced.

Scratching the back of his head, the jonin addressed the three genin, surprise written all across their faces. "Right, guys this is Yoruichi… a friend of mine." Turning his attention back towards the cat with his hand outstretched he asked, "Now if you would be so kind as to return my novel."

"Of course… friend" the cat tossed him the book, its tone losing all of its amusement and sounding ticked off. "It's going to be your only 'friend' from now on you jerk. Six months, six months and he still refuses to go public" it muttered as it made its way from the area.

"Wait, kitten you know what I mean, let's not make a scene." Kakashi pleaded, chasing the feline out into the forest, prized novel forgotten on the ground.

"Can somebody please explain to me what the hell that was all about" Naruto asked with a confused expression on his face. Turning to his teammates, who appeared equally bewildered with the way their sensei was acting, he addressed them once more. "Looks like we're gonna have to get to the bottom of this, and we won't give up until we have some answers. Beli…"

Before he could finish his proclamation, a powerful fist connected with his head, leaving him in a Naruto shaped crater in the ground. "You idiot, haven't you learned anything these past few days. Somethings are better left unanswered." She interrupted, trying to stop any crazy theories from forming in her head based on recent events. "And I'd rather he doesn't explain why he's late all the time, as long as he gets here eventually, he can keep his personal life to himself."

"Hn." Came the grunt of approval to the statement from the stoic Uchiha.

"Alright already, need to get so violent Sakura-chan." Naruto responded, nursing a sizeable bump on top of his head. "I'm just saying, for all we know that's really his girlfriend and she just happens to be some sorta were-cat, like from another universe or something."

"You dobe, that's even worse than the cat world domination idea" Sasuke muttered, hands in his pockets as he made his way out of the training field. _I'm surrounded by a bunch of morons._

"You're so right Sasuke-kun, that's the stupidest theory you've come up with so far Naruto. And that's saying something, you've said a lot of idiotic stuff." Sakura said, rushing off to join Sasuke.

"Heh, guess you're right that does sound pretty silly." Naruto admitted, joining his teammates as they made their way out of the field. "I know, let's forget about this whole thing over a nice bowl of Ichiraku ramen."


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright team, while I'd like to continue training I'd rather not have to explain to Lady Tsunade how I managed to kill my genin during training . So get some rest, we'll meet up back here at five AM sharp. Oh and I'd eat breakfast at your own risk." Kakashi ordered, his usual aloof attitude nonexistent, as were much of his mannerisms.

With that the silver hair shinobi left the training field, leaving three barely conscious genin in the middle of it. A scene becoming more and more frequent much to team seven's displeasure.

"Geez, I haven't been this sore since sensei used thousand years of death on me. If he keeps working us like this I don't think I'll live long enough to become hokage, believe it." Naruto whined, still lying motionless on the ground to give his body a moment to recover.

"I know, he's actually on time now, and I haven't once seen him take out that perverted book of his. And now he's always in a bad mood which only makes our training sessions that much harder." Sakura said, mimicking Naruto's position on the ground.

"Hn. I don't care, it's about time Kakashi starts taking my training seriously. If you two can't handle it then you should just give up being shinobi." After struggling to his feet, Sasuke limped his way out of the training grounds, far too prideful to admit his own anguish.

"You're so right Sasuke-kun, if you can't take the pressure then maybe you should just quit Naruto-baka." _Cha, no matter what I cannot let my Sasuke-kun leave me behind. I'll stick with him no matter what obstacles get in my way. _Sakura stumbled after the broody Uchiha, once more looking to convince the Uchiha into accepting her advances.

"Fine be that way, I'll get the old Kakashi-sensei back without you guys. Then you'll see just how awesome I am, and everyone is gonna forget all about you Sasuke-teme." Naruto yelled out to no one in particular, the abandonment by his teammates only steeling in resolve. _And I know just the guy who can help me out with my problem. _Rubbing his hands together and cackling in a manner reminiscent of the kyubbi inside of him, , the young genin plotted the next step in his devious plot.

* * *

Twin blurs of green sped across the eastern training grounds, movements nearly imperceptible to the naked eye. The only evidence of the training grounds being used were the booming voices belonging to Konoha's one and only green beast and his beloved student/clone.

"Not bad Lee, your taijutsu skills grow with each passing day, you truly are a genius of hard work."

"That may be but it's still not enough if I ever want to reach your level Guy-sensei. Which is why I will run five hundred laps around the village to make up for my shortcomings."

Tears flowing like waterfalls, Konoha's taijutsu master took Lee in a prideful embrace. "Oh Lee, your perseverance inspires me to push myself even further, and that is the very pinnacle of youth. A man couldn't ask for a better student."

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee-kun!"

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee-kun!"

Naruto walked towards the bizarre pair trying to keep his apprehension from showing. _Maybe this isn't such a great idea. But still, he's gotta know what's bugging Kakashi-sensei._ "Hey Bushier Brow sensei, ya got a minute?"

"Ah, if it isn't my rival's youthful little student, what can I do for you Naruto-kun?" Guy responded, one arm still wrapped around Lee's shoulders.

"You know Kaka-sensei pretty well, don't you?" Naruto inquired, going with the one person his sensei associated with, even if it was kind of a one-sided rivalry/friendship.

"Of course, I am his lifelong rival after all." Guy answered, topping it off with his signature nice guy pose, much to Lee's delight.

"Well then what's been up with him lately, he's been acting so… not like Kakashi-sensei. He's been running us into the ground, showing up on time, and I haven't once seen him take out that pervy book he's always reading. It's like he's a completely different person, ya know." Naruto complained, pinning his hopes on the response of the spandex wearing jonin.

Guy rubbed his chin in thought. "That is peculiar; you may be on to something Naruto. Come to think of it, he has been avoiding me lately."

"Doesn't he normally do that anyway?" Naruto retorted.

"Perhaps, but still I have noticed my rival losing a bit of that cool and trendy attitude of his. Unfortunately I haven't the faintest idea as to the cause." Upon hearing that Naruto visibly faltered, "However I may know someone who can help you."

* * *

Address in hand, Naruto made his way across Konoha's rooftops, itching to meet this new source of information. Finally after some searching the genin reached the appropriate apartment building, and made his way up to the number indicated on the paper.

_Apartment number seven five six, this is it. _Knocking on the door a few times, Naruto stepped back, itching to see who the mystery helper was. After waiting for a few minutes, he knocked again, a little harder than before just in case they didn't hear the first time.

This time a deep voice sounded from inside the apartment. "Nobody's home, go away."

Face red in irritation, the blonde was quick to respond. "Who do you think I am, some kind of idiot."

"Yeah, an idiot who can't take a hint."

Knocking on the door with more fervor than before, Naruto would not be deterred. "If you don't open this door I'll just keep knocking. I can do this all night, believe it."

"Alright, alright I'm coming already." As soon as the door opened the blonde rushed inside, standing in the middle of a sparsely furnished room. Looking around he couldn't find the source of the voice itself, almost as if there was never anyone inside the apartment.

_No way, then that must mean… I was talking to a ghost. But why would bushier brow sensei send me to a haunted apartment. _Visibly shaking at the thought, the genin slowly backed away with his eyes closed. There were many things Naruto would do for his precious people; however anything related with ghosts was where he drew the line.

Suddenly without warning a voice spoke a few inches away from his ear. "Yo."

Falling on his knees and holding his hand up in prayer, the blonde begged the entity for mercy. "Please don't hurt me Mr. Ghost, I'm sorry for disturbing your rest. If this is about the time I took a leak out in the cemetery it was an emergency. I couldn't hold it in anymore and Sasuke wouldn't let me go before we left. He's to blame honest; I'll even tell you were he lives so you can haunt him instead. Just don't hurt me, I still gotta be Hokage, and there's so much ramen I haven't tried yet."

Taking the silence as an acceptance of his pleas, the jinjuriki cautiously cracked open his eyes. Only to come face to face with a pug, recognition quickly set in. "Pakkun, what are you doing here. What happened to the ghost?"

"There is no ghost, that was just me. And I live here, where else would I be?"

Brow furrowed in concentration, the blonde quickly put two and two together. "That means this is Kakashi-sensei's apartment." At the dog's nod in affirmation, he surveyed the small apartment. It was neither tidy nor messy, with a lack of any personal touches one normally sees in homes. "Not really what I expected, kind of ... meh."

"That's the way Kakashi likes it, he's not here by the way. Doesn't usually spend much time here but I'll let him know you came by." Pakkun informed the boy, looking to go back to his well-deserved naptime.

"Actually I was looking to speak with you, I think. It's about Kakashi-sensei; he's been acting really strange, not himself ya know. I was just wondering if you knew something."

"It's that damned furball's fault; I never did like that thing. Fortunately I haven't seen it around recently." Pakkun huffed in disdain, malice coating his normally mellow voice. "Take it from me kid, Kakashi can be a moody guy. Give it some time, he'll come around eventually, he always does."

With that the pug walked off, muttering something about attention hogging cats under his breath. Of course letting things be wasn't a part of the blonde's nature, especially when it came to the precious people in his life. Mind set, the boy knew what he had to do next, even if past experience hadn't been too kind to him. "Pakkun, we need to find that cat, it's the only way we'll get to the bottom of this. If you can track its scent-"

Pakkun quickly cut him off, refusal evident in his voice. "Absolutely not, there's no way I'm helping you find that damned thing."

"Don't do it for me, do it for Kakashi-sensei." Naruto begged, kneeling in front of the reluctant pug.

Pakkun sighed in annoyance, not fazed at all by the blonde's pleas. "I already said no Naruto, get it through that thick skull, I won't do it."

Oddly enough Naruto broke out into a grin upon hearing the dog. "Great, I'll be by tomorrow after training so we can start tracking the scent."

"You're not listening-" before Pakkun could finish voicing his objections the energetic genin had already left the apartment leaving the pug with flashbacks of another equally stubborn Uzumaki. _He's Kushina's son alright. _"I'm getting too old for this shit."

* * *

The next day came and went with much of the same for the members of team seven. Each with their backs on the ground cursing whatever powers have deemed them the targets for such harsh treatment, except for the loudest member of the squad. The blonde just laid on the ground, no complaints or obnoxious comments coming out of the jinjuriki's mouth, instead a devious grin covered his features. A grin that caused some trepidation in Sakura and suspicion from the Uchiha heir, both recognizing the look from past experience.

"I don't know what you're planning dobe but you can count me out of it." The Uchiha spat out, not wanting to get caught up in another one of his teammate's knuckleheaded schemes.

"Aw, don't be that way Sasuke. You haven't even heard my idea yet."

"That's because you never come up with a good idea, Naruto." The pinkette countered, well aware of the blonde's penchant for coming up with plans that always seemed to backfire on them.

"This time it'll work, believe it." Naruto proclaimed to his teammates, much to their disbelief. "I even got professional help this time." The blonde began making his way out of the training grounds without so much as a farewell to his teammates. _If I know Sasuke, he's itching to find out who's the 'professional' help. Any second now..._

Interest piqued, the broody Uchiha followed his teammate if only to satisfy his own curiosity, following Naruto from a distance for the sake of pride, Sakura right behind him. A quick trip brought the genin back to the apartment complex, stopping at their sensei's apartment.

"Here we are guys, let me just get our helper out here."

"Whose apartment is this?" Sakura asked, not familiar with that area of the village.

"It's Kakashi-sensei's apartment."

"Kakashi actually told you where he lives?" Sasuke questioned, not believing the aloof jonin would actually reveal such personal information, much less to Naruto.

Eyes narrowing ominously, Naruto replied as he knocked on the door. "Oh I have ways of finding this stuff out."

A voice bellowed from inside the apartment in a pathetic impersonation of a ghost. "Ohh, this is a real ghost this time and I'll haunt you if you don't leave now."

"Nice try Pakkun, I'm not falling for that again. Open up already would ya, I'll make it worth your while."

"Not interested, now go away." The nin dog replied, knowing that opening the door meant accepting the blonde's request from yesterday.

"Aww, but I brought you some nice and crispy bacon, but I guess if you don't want it…" Naruto began waving the bacon near the door to entice the dog into come out of hiding.

In an instant the door to the apartment cracked open just enough for Pakkun to stick his head out. "Is that all you're offering?" _Kid's persistent, might as well take advantage while the taking's good._

"What'd ya have in mind?" The jinjuriki replied, negotiations now open between the pug and the genin.

"You bring me bacon every day for the next month, and make sure Kakashi doesn't find out."

"Deal, anything else."

"Yeah, baths from Sakura for the next month too, with the strawberry scented shampoo she uses."

Naruto turned towards the girl in question, a pleading smile on his face. _Cha, you owe me big time for this Naruto._ At the pinkette's hesitant nod the pug snatched the bacon from the blonde's hand, dashing across the rooftops with the three genin in hot pursuit.

"So what's the plan now, dobe." Sasuke finally questioned through clenched teeth, pride making way for curiosity.

"Hmm, what's that teme, I thought you weren't interested in my plans." Naruto gloated, savoring the small victory over the Uchiha.

"Naruto, if you don't tell us what's going I swear I'll…"

Holding his hands up in a placating manner, Naruto was quick to ease the hot tempered kunoichi. "Okay, okay. No need to get so violent Sakura-chan. It's simple really-"

"It'd have to be simple if you came up with the idea." Sasuke interrupted, earning a glare from the blonde.

"Like I was saying, Pakkun is going to track Yoruichi's scent-"

"Yoruichi, you mean the talking cat from the other day. What good will that do, remember what happened last time we tried following that thing around." Sakura questioned, still troubled by their previous adventures involving said feline.

"Hn, I knew this was going to be a waste of my time."

"Aww, come on guys. This time things are gonna be different, believe it. I mean Kakashi-sensei's been in a bad mood ever since the cat ran off." Naruto responded in an attempt to convince his teammates to continue the 'mission'.

"This is it brats, the scent leads into that building up ahead." Pakkun interrupted, indicating a dilapidated looking shop in the older part of the village. No signs indicating the kind of merchandise it held, just a flyer on the door. Upon closer inspection the flyer had a crudely drawn dog on it, barring some resemblance to Pakkun, with the words _NO MUTTS ALLOWED_ written on the bottom of the paper.

"Maybe you should stay out here Pakkun." Sakura suggested, a little wary of what laid inside the shop.

"I'll have you know I've been going on missions with Kakashi since before any of you were even born, sneaking into a shop is child's play." The pug retorted, taking offense at the girl's lack of faith in his skills.

As soon as the pug began trotting into the store he vanished much to the trio's shock. "Can't you read the sign, no mutts allowed." A female voice sounded out from behind the three. Turning around the three genin came face to face with the culprit. Holding the poor pug by the scruff of his neck stood the apparent shopkeeper. Long purple hair held in a ponytail, dark skin and bright golden eyes gave the woman a very exotic beauty, one the trio wasn't accustomed to seeing in fire country. "Guess I shouldn't expect any better from this flea bag, but you three should know better."

"Hn." The Uchiha narrowed his eyes, contemplating the merits of activating his sharigan as he raised his guard. _No way would a normal civilian be able to snatch a ninja hound like that. There's something off about her._

"We're really sorry miss. Our dog just got a little excited is all." Sakura blurted out, the first to apologize as usual.

"Lady, I suggest you put me down before I'm forced to you violence." Pakkun growled out, his attempt at sounding intimidating failing due to his compromising position.

"I'd like to see you try, mutt." The dark skinned beauty replied, glaring at her captive.

Unable to break free of her grasp, Pakkun could only growl and hope the genin would come to his aide. Suddenly a familiar scent attracted the pug's attention, recognition hitting him square in the nose. "That scent, you must be Yor-"

The members of team seven could only watch as Pakkun was thrown across the air with enough force to reach the other side of the village, left wondering what the pug was trying to say. "Don't worry about him; I'm sure he'll land on his feet." The woman said in a lame attempt to comfort the children, blatantly unconcerned with the dog's wellbeing.

"I thought that was only cats."

"Oh that's right. Oh well, good thing he has nine lives." The woman shrugged, taking a seat behind the barren counter. "So what brings you three to my humble shop?"

Quick to anger as usual it took both genin to hold Naruto back. "Just who the hell do you think you are doing that to Pakkun, you bitc-"

A well timed punch from Sakura cut him off, leaving her to diffuse the situation. _Naruto you idiot, you're gonna end up just like Pakkun if you keep running your mouth like that. _"Don't mind Naruto, he can be a real loud mouth sometimes. If you don't mind me asking, just what kind of a shop is this anyways? I don't really see any merchandise; what is it that you sell?"

Grinning like a Cheshire cat as if forgiving the blonde's impertinence the exotic beauty responded. "That's because what I have to offer isn't anything physical. You see I sell information, anything you want to know on anything or anyone in the village, I've got the scoop."

Sasuke wasn't impressed with the answer, still very suspicious of her true nature. "Hn. So basically you spread gossip around the village and charge people for it, sound about right?"

Grin growing upon hearing the raven haired boy's insult, the shop keeper was quick retort "Okay then, just so you know first time customers get one free tidbit. The loud mouth blonde is Naruto Uzumaki, the spitting image of his father physically but the mannerisms are his mother's. His sexy jutsu technique was the result of researching the lady's bath house since his early academy days, eerily reminiscent of his godfather."

Sporting a blush that would put Hinata to shame, the blonde stood gaping at the woman, unaware that his exploits in the bathhouse were being observed. Vein popping out of her forehead, Sakura was mid punch when the shopkeeper spoke once more, the mention of her name stopping her movements.

"The pinkette with the quick temper is Sakura Haruno, born of a civilian family. Her infatuation with a certain broody prodigy goes beyond that of most girls. Possessing a shrine whose contents range from racy bathhouse photos to a decomposing half eaten tomato from lunch at the academy, said boy might want to keep an eye on this little devil."

"Looks like I'm not the only one sneaking around bath houses, aye Sakura." The blonde teased, while the Uchiha looked mortified, his paranoia reaching new heights.

"T-that's not true, I'd never invade Sasuke's privacy like that." Sakura sputtered, blushing as brightly as Naruto had a few moments ago.

"And last but certainly not least, Sasuke Uchiha. One of the last living members of the Uchiha clan and witness to its massacre, it's to be expected that he have some… issues. One of which includes an inferiority complex where he compares his 'growth' to his male counterparts when visiting the bathhouses, his gaze lingering more than it should when it comes to Nar-"

A barrage of shuriken were thrown right for Yoruichi's head, which she dodged with ease. Her grin grew upon seeing the matching looks of horror on the genins' faces, some of their most intimate secrets now out in the open, revealed as if they were common knowledge.

"How's that for information." Still smirking the Shinigami continued to tease the trio. "However my most valuable piece of information concerns a certain jonin sensei, and what he happens to look like underneath his mask."

"No way, you've seen Kakashi-sensei's real face. How'd you do it, I tried everything." The jinjuriki asked previous embarrassment replaced with newfound awe for the mysterious shopkeeper.

"Hmm, not quite everything." The Shihōin Clan princess answered, a wistful smile and devious glint adorning her features. "And before you ask let me just say that you'll never afford that bit of information. Watching your attempts at catching a glimpse of his face are priceless, it'll never get old.

Before the stubborn genin could pursue the issue any further Sasuke quickly voiced his displeasure with Naruto's scheme. "I knew this would be a waste of time, you two can find that stupid cat on your own. Don't know what good it would do anyways." With that the leaf's last remaining Uchiha member exited the barren shop, leaving his teammates with the mysterious shop keeper.

"Yeah Naruto, I don't see what the cat has to do with anything that's been going on lately. Oh, and you can tell Pakkun that the deal's off." Sakura huffed, leaving the blonde to go chase after her crush, a typical event for team seven.

Now alone the obnoxious genin visibly faltered, with wide glassy eyes and a trembling lip as he slowly made his way out the door. Gone was the determined and boisterous boy who walked into her shop, defeat slowly sinking in. The kicked puppy look didn't suit him, and the Shinigami couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for the boy.

"You wouldn't be talking about a black cat, about this big, big golden eyes, and an overall perfect specimen of the feline kind." Yoruichi questioned the blonde, stopping him right as he was crossing the shop's exit.

Perking up upon hearing her words Naruto quickly shifted his attention back towards the purple haired beauty. "Yeah that's him. Oh and it can talk too, do you know where I can find him?"

"Hmm, not available right now but you could leave a message. What's with all the interest anyway, seems kind of strange to be stalking an innocent little cat." Yoruichi responded, deciding to keep her transformation abilities hidden.

Scratching the back of his head bashfully, the blonde was hesitant to answer. "It isn't for me; it's for Kakashi-sensei. Sure, he's always been kind of weird, late for everything, and he's always reading those pervy books but that's what makes him Kakashi-sensei, ya know. And lately he's been acting different; he isn't doing any of that stuff anymore. Lady Tsunade thinks it's an improvement, but I know better. Something's bothering him and it all started the day he introduced us to that cat. Kakashi-sensei will never tell me about his personal life so I figured Yoruichi might know what was bothering him. Guess it does sound kind of silly to be asking a cat about your sensei's personal life, huh?"

Smiling upon hearing the genin's noble intentions, Yoruichi ruffled the blonde's head as she walked him out of the shop. "That's not silly; it just means you care for him. The man can be a bit of a recluse, which makes caring for the man a bit difficult. That fact that you put up with him is very admirable."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, I do. Don't worry Naruto; I'll put in a good word for you when I speak with Yoruichi. Kakashi will be back to his old ways in no time, I guarantee it. Oh, and don't get up too early, I have a feeling your sensei will be arriving late to your training session tomorrow."

"Gee thanks, by the way I never got your name." Naruto questioned, turning to face the mysterious shopkeeper/informant only to be greeted by thin air. Placing her disappearance as another crazy shinobi habit, the blonde made his way home assured by the woman's guarantee.


	3. Chapter 3

Months ago Kakashi Hatake had been strolling around the village seemingly engrossed in his Icha Icha novel, as per norm, when a particular feline caught his eye. Black all over, with bright golden eyes, an omen of bad luck according to superstition. The way it moved about the village, taking in every detail as it went while attempting to do so inconspicuously immediately raised a red flag. There was something more to the feline, something underneath the superficial. And if there was one thing Kakashi Hatake prided himself in, it was looking underneath the underneath.

His inquiry into said feline resulted in a very interesting and completely unexpected encounter with the Shinigami known as Yoruichi Shihōin. Apparently she along with a few others had been investigating some strange activity going on throughout the elemental nations, involving hollows and some other stuff that went way over the copy nin's head. Suffice to say that their encounter ended up growing into something more. To say that their relationship was just a fling just didn't sit well with the shinobi; for he was no stranger to flings. Be it comfort (Yugao), lust (Anko), or to relieve his boredom (Kurenai), each fling had a clear cut purpose which once fulfilled signified the end of each affair. With Yoruichi everything felt different; their relationship had no ulterior motive as his past relations did. He felt a genuine interest for her, one that went beyond the physical to the point that simply having her at his side gave the copy nin great comfort. So when the Shihōin clan princess abruptly ended their relationship Kakashi found himself in a less than agreeable mood more often then not.

And now he found himself in front of the memorial stone, a place he was all too familiar with. While others would drink the night away, or take their frustrations out on enemy ninja, Kakashi had the memorial stone. He may have also been a little harsher than usual on his genin but that was beside the point. Any moment now they'd come back to him, his most precious people to offer him solace in his moment of heartache. Whether their return was a spiritual one, hallucinations stemming from hunger/exhaustion, or just the sign of his ceaseless fall into insanity, they'd come.

Suddenly a voice from the past broke the copy nin out of his trance. "Oi Bakashi, you really screwed up this time didn't you? For a genius you can really be an idiot, you know that."

"Obito stop that, we came to help not to make him feel worse."

"I'm just saying Rin, he's always been the stuck up know-it-all of the group, and now look at him. Coming back to us every time he needs help, I don't know what he'd do without us." Before the jonin stood his two teenage squad members, each one exactly as he remembered them.

"Maa Obito, you may have a point there. Anyways, I was kind of hoping Minato-sensei would show up but I suppose I could settle for Rin."

"What the heck's that supposed to mean, I'm not good enough for you." Obito huffed, as ready to prove himself to Kakashi as ever.

"Well if I ever need advice on making out with picture frames I'll let you know, but I'd say Rin is my next best choice."

Blushing upon hearing Kakashi's rebuttal the loud Uchiha slowly dissipated into the tree line, muttering something about sneaky scarecrows as he did. Turning his attention towards the young kunoichi, the silver haired jonin smiled and waited the brunette to advise him.

"Well Kakashi, why don't you tell me about this girl you like?" The ghostly kunoichi questioned, a red tint covering her cheeks.

"Not to be rude but isn't that a little redundant. I'm positive you're not ghosts, which means that you and Obito are just figments of my imagination. That means you should already know all about Yoruichi."

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, the former medic nin took a deep breath before continuing. "That's not the point Kakashi, just answer the question."

"Well what is the point then?" The silver haired jonin challenged, annoyed that he was having this conversation.

"The point is for you to highlight what you like about her, to remind yourself of why she is so special to you." The brunette answered sharply, losing some patience with the difficult jonin.

Rubbing his chin in thought, Kakashi finally responded. "Her name is Yoruichi Shihōin, she comes from another realm where the spirits of the dead end up. As for my likes, she's beautiful, very skilled, and most importantly she has great taste in literature. I suppose the sex is pretty good too."

Rin's blush deepened as she could only gasp at the jonin's abruptness.

A smirk formed under the copy ninja's mask as he continued. "Don't get me wrong, the sex was amazing but it's not what I find myself missing about her. We could spend hours together in silence, reading some Icha Icha or just basking in the sun, not a care in the world. There was never a need for clever conversation or romantic gestures, it was just two individuals genuinely enjoying each other's company. She was my escape, my sanctuary. Maa, that was really corny wasn't it."

Before Rin could respond another voice came into the conversation. "You really are an idiot you know that?" Obito teased, reappearing from out of nowhere. "It's obvious you're in love with her, and yet here you are talking to yourself instead of doing something about it."

"And what would you propose I do, Obito?" The jonin questioned, anger rising upon hearing the Uchiha's challenge. Anger stemming not from Obito's words as much as it was from the feeling of futility the copy nin was feeling at that moment.

Smiling at seeing the burst of emotion from the usually stoic ninja, Obito was quick to retort. "Easy, you go find her, apologize for being an idiot and let her know how you really feel."

"Obito, it isn't that simple. If she doesn't want to be found then there's nothing-"

"Quit making excuses Hatake, if you never try then you'll regret it for the rest of your life… trust me." Expression falling, the Uchiha gazed upon Rin with a look of absolute longing. The look seemed so foreign and out of place on Obito, causing a dull ache to stir in the copy nin's heart. Suddenly both the 'ghosts' began to disappear into the air, each offering a smile of encouragement at the jonin.

Taking a moment to take in the words of the Uchiha, the silver haired shinobi rose from his spot and bowed his head in thanks. With a newfound determination the copy ninja made his way back towards his apartment, no longer wallowing in his own self-pity.

The first step would be convincing Pakkun and the rest of the pack to help track Yoruichi's scent; easier said than then done considering their hostility towards her. _Nothing a little bribe can't take care of. Maybe a little bacon… nah Pakkun has been getting a little pudgy lately._ Using his chakra to scale the wall of his apartment building Kakashi noticed a light on inside his apartment, strange given the pug's inclination towards taking naps at this hour. Climbing through his window while simultaneously reaching for a kunai from his pouch, the copy nin quickly surveyed his apartment. Everything was in its place aside from the end table lamp being turned on, an Icha Icha novel on the table.

_Strange, I could've sworn I put this back in my vault. _"Pakkun you could've at least done me the favor of shutting off the lamp. Do you know how much money this is going to cost me?" The jonin scolded, picking up his prized novel to return it to his sacred vault.

"Cheap as ever, huh scarecrow?" Spinning towards the voice and crouching into a fighting stance, the copy ninja came face to face with the last person he expected to see in his apartment. The Shihōin clan princess, hair loose and damp from having just showered, wearing one of his black long sleeve shirts with the mask pooled around her neck. She stood before the jonin with a look of absolute triumph on her face, once more catching the shinobi off guard in their little game of cat and mouse. Kakashi was speechless, a combination of his shock at seeing her before him and admiration upon seeing her attire. "Hope you don't mind, I forgot to bring a change of clothes." The Shinigami spoke, taking a moment to stretch her legs, once more taking the copy nin by surprise.

"Of course not, looks better on you anyways." The shinobi finally recovered from his momentary stupor. "Not that I'm complaining but what exactly brings you here. I thought you were kind of…"

"Upset, pissed, downright hating your guts, I was. Can you blame me though; I mean you're just so infuriating. You don't think twice about strolling around the entire village reading your smut but when it comes to taking our relationship to the next level that's when you start to have reservations. Just a friend…hmph! If I'm here right now it's because of your little students, the blonde one specifically."

"I hope they weren't too much of a nuisance. They tend to get a bit carried away sometimes."

"Actually I think I was the one that got a bit carried away, you wouldn't believe some of the things you can learn hanging around the bathhouses." Laughing at the memories of her encounter earlier in the day with team seven, Kakashi could only imagine how mentally scarred his students had ended up.

Scratching the back of his head while trying to come up with an adequate apology, a third party entered the conversation, of the illusionary/ghostly kind. With his spiky blonde hair and ever-present smile stood Kakashi's dead sensei, Minato Namikaze, finger over his lips to keep the shinobi quiet.

"_Don't worry Kakashi-kun, I'm here to help. I know exactly what to say, and don't worry she can't see me_." The apparition of his sensei assured him. _"First things first, get up close to her, take her hands in yours and get on your knees. Good, now repeat after me."_

"Yoruichi you're absolutely right. I've been a huge idiot; the truth is that I've always been afraid of letting people get too close to me. Everyone close to me ends up leaving me, so I suppose it was that fear that always gave me some pause when it came to taking the next step in my relationships. I was afraid of losing you too, but it was my fear that ended up losing you, and without you I am lost."

"_Minato-sensei, did you just quote Icha Icha?"_

"_Of course, Jiraiya-sensei always did have a way with words. Now focus, this is the most important part. Giving your best puppy eyes beg her to take you back, really let her see how much of a mess you are without her. Remember you can never degrade yourself enough in this instance."_

Kakashi did exactly as he was instructed, even pulling off his mask for greater effect. "Please, please find it in your heart to forgive this poor, mediocre, decrepit old fool.

Pulling the forlorn shinobi off his knees, the Shinigami could only laugh upon hearing the sappy and overly dramatic apology. "To think you'd make such a fool of yourself for me, that really means a lot to me scarecrow." The two met in a passionate embrace, their lips interlocking with one another as if it would be the last kiss the two would share.

"_Thanks sensei, you really saved my ass on this one."_

"_Don't mention it; when it comes to trouble with temperamental women; just make a fool of yourself. It always worked with Kushina." _With a quick wave Minato's apparition disappeared, leaving the two lovers to reconcile with one another.

* * *

After a few hours 'reconciling' with one another, the lovers found themselves on Kakashi's bed, the purple haired minx using his chest as a pillow. A peaceful quiet surrounded the couple, in that moment all that mattered was listening to the steady beating of their hearts, the rhythm slowly soothing the couple.

"Maybe we should argue more often." The silver haired shinobi joked, earning a sharp elbow to his ribs from the Shinigami. "Uh, I was only kidding. What I meant to say is that I really missed this, having my kitten in my arms."

"I know, I'm a pretty amazing lay." The Shihōin clan princess answered in kind, a cheeky grin spreading across her features. "If nothing else you make a pretty good pillow."

"Good to see you think so highly of me." Kakashi retorted, pouting in jest.

"Oh I do, trust me. It takes a lot to capture my attention, and you my little scarecrow, have me completely enamored. So much so that I actually have a proposal for you, Kakashi."

"Hmm. I think I'm a little young for marriage, don't you think?"

"You and me both." Yoruichi laughed, taking a moment to get back on track. "Our team has taken care of the situation here in your world, and we're scheduled to return to our own world tomorrow. S-so I was wondering if…"

The shinobi waited for her to finish, but it appeared she was having second thoughts herself. Gone was the confident and powerful woman Kakashi fell in love with, replaced by this timid girl filled with doubt. He stroked her hair as a means to comfort her, as a way of encouraging her to continue.

The Shihōin clan princess audibly gulped, but finally mustered up the courage to finish her proposal. "I'd like for you to come back with me to my world, I could give you a tour of the place and everything. The only problem is that if you do come with me you might not return to the village for quite some time."

The copy nin was silent for a few minutes, contemplating the Shinigami's words. Deep down she already knew his answer, no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise. It was his loyalty to his duty that really endeared him to her. Unfortunately it would be that same loyalty that would end up separating the two. "Yoruichi I'm sorry, I just-"

Nodding solemnly, Yoruichi cut him off. "I understand, we both have our responsibilities to take care of. Your students need you and I have my own duties to take care of back home." A meaningless smile covered her face, trying very much to hide the hurt his rejection had caused her.

"Believe me, I've never hated saying no as much as I do now. But with the recent attack on the village and the Sandaime's passing I'm needed now more than ever." Once more life had managed to give the copy nin something special, only to have it taken away once he truly began to appreciate it. Be that as it may it still hurt every time it did happen to the copy ninja. "Will I ever see you again?"

"I'm not sure. I don't know when I'll be back, but you deserve someone who'll actually be there for you, at your side whenever you need it. I won't be able to do that for you. You need to move on, forget about me." Placing a chastise kiss on her lover's forehead, Yoruichi changed into her cat form and leapt towards the open window.

Before the feline could leave the copy ninja spoke, a dejected smile appearing as he did. "I've never been too good with the whole moving on thing, I see no reason to start now." With that the feline moved out of sight, both having said their silent farewells.

* * *

The next morning both Sakura and Sasuke arrived at the training grounds at the time specified by Kakashi. Hours passed and the pair of genin saw no sign of their sensei or their knuckleheaded teammate. Finally a good three hours of waiting brought the third member of the squad to the training grounds, a huge smirk on his face.

"You guys look terrible, not enough sleep huh?" The blonde spoke in a gloating tone.

"Hn."

"Cha, Naruto if you don't wipe that stupid smirk off you face I'm gonna-"

Sakura began, only to be interrupted by a fourth presence. "Sorry I'm late guys, I had to see this cute little kitten back home."

"Yeah right." Both Sakura and Naruto retorted, the kunoichi in irritation while the blonde had a small smile on his face. The lady had kept her word, team seven had the old Kakashi-sensei back.

"Alright, for today's session…"

* * *

Forty-seven years, roughly thirty years longer than Kakashi Hatake expected to live. The loss of his teammates in the third war, the death of his sensei, his own failure as a sensei, and the brutality of the forth shinobi war came and went leaving plenty of scars but never landing a lethal blow. But now his time had finally come, months of studies and tests at the hospital all came back to the same conclusion. The former hokage was dying, a victim of a rare genetic disorder he had inherited from his mother, the same disorder that took her life in the span of a few months.

In typical copy ninja fashion he only managed a shrug upon hearing the news much to the dismay of his students. In some ways he was resigned to his fate, content knowing that he would be leaving the village in the hands of a generation more capable than his own. His former students weren't so willing to give up, as Sakura spent countless hours looking for a cure while Naruto spent most of his evenings with Kakashi. Sasuke even managed to pay the man a brief visit before returning to his self-imposed exile outside the village.

Rather than spending his last days of life inside of a dreadful hospital room Kakashi had opted for staying in his own apartment. Despite being a retired hokage and having earned more than enough money the copy ninja continued living in his old apartment. The same apartment he had been living in since the nine tails attack on the leaf village. Not much had changed in terms of the furniture or its overall layout, but time still made its mark on the old place. Gone were the loyal ninken who often resided in the apartment alongside Kakashi, each one passing on at some point in the past. The walls and fixtures of the apartment looking more and more dilapidated and worn, in some ways a reflection of the man himself.

Looking at the clock the silver haired shinobi rose from his seat to begin preparing his evening tea, knowing Naruto would be arriving at any moment. Thankfully the blonde hadn't inherited his own sense of punctuality, or lack thereof. Placing the kettle on the stove the copy nin also took out a small dish which he filled with milk and placed on the window sill. A small part of him still holding onto the hope of hearing the familiar scratching on the glass and the bright eyed stare of a certain feline. A knocking at the door snapped the man out of his trance and signaled the arrival of his former student and current hokage.

"Hey Kaka-sensei, how are you feeling today?" Gone were the days that Kakashi could look down upon his student, now the tables had turned as the blonde stood a couple inches taller than him. The blonde hair and blue eyes a striking reminder of his Minato-sensei, but Naruto had grown into his own person. He truly had surpassed his father, no, all his predecessors not only as a shinobi but also as a person.

"Not bad for a dying man, how's hokage life treating you?" The older man responded dryly, beckoning the blonde to enter and take his customary seat at the table while he went into the kitchen to get the tea.

Naruto chuckled, by now used to his sensei's dry sense of humor. "If I had known being Hokage was going to be so boring when I was younger maybe I would've had different aspirations. The paperwork and boring council meetings never end."

"U huh, I know exactly what you mean Naruto. Of course with your chakra reserves I'm sure you could just use shadow clones to take care of all the boring stuff."

A look of realization fell upon the blonde, snapping his fingers and pointing at the older man in disbelief. "I can't believe I hadn't thought of that before, seems like I still have a lot to learn, huh sensei." Shaking his head the blonde took a sip of tea, still not willing to imagine a life without his longtime mentor. "Maybe then I could spend some more time with the kids, Boruto has been acting up lately. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have Hinata by my side."

"You know what they say; behind every great man is a great woman." The two sat in a peaceful silence as they drank their tea, the blonde knowing how opposed his sensei was to conversation. Finally after what seemed like an eternity Naruto broke the silence.

"Sensei, I've got a serious question to ask you."

"Maa Naruto, if it's about my face I think that would be better left a mystery."

Chuckling as memories of their failed attempts at unmasking their sensei returned to him, Naruto composed himself. "Actually I've been curious. I mean, you a pretty good looking guy… I think. I'm just wondering why you never settled down with someone. There had to be someone you were interested in."

"Well there was that one time Shizune seduced me into finishing my paperwork but nothing really came out of that." Scratching his chin in deep thought the copy nin turned his gaze towards an old picture frame near his bedside. "I suppose Rin is the first person that comes to mind. She was a teammate of mine during the days of team Minato; she had a crush on me but didn't swoon over me like other girls did. She passed away during the third war, but I always wondered how different things would've been had she survived. Would I have grown to care for her as she did me? I suppose I'll never know."

A look of sympathy flashed across the blonde's face, remembering the name being mentioned by Obito during the fourth war. "I'm really sorry sensei."

Dismissing Naruto's concern with a wave of his hand, Kakashi continued. "Don't be Naruto; it's just the way things turned out. As for the other person, you've actually met her a couple times."

"Oh, so the rumors about you and the Godaime Mizukage were true then."

Choking on his tea the copy ninja was quick to deny the statement. "Of course not, relationships between kage can be detrimental to village relations." _Besides it was only a one night stand and a scary one at that, who talks about marriage on the first night? _"I was talking about Yoruichi, you remember her don't you?"

Brow furrowed in concentration the blonde shook his head. "Sorry sensei, the name doesn't ring any bells."

Reaching inside of his pouch the copy nin pulled out a small photograph, corners bent and colors faded from so much wear. Handing it over to the blonde it revealed the silver haired shinobi lounging on a tree branch, his prized Icha Icha book in hand, a woman leaning against his shoulder. Her purple hair and dark skin instantly giving the blonde a flashback to their one fateful encounter during his genin days. The pair's attention was solely on the little orange novel in front of them, leading Naruto to wonder as to who was the person who took the photo.

"I remember her, that's the spy lady that threw Pakkun halfway across the village."

"Well Naruto, that spy lady is Yoruichi. She was the black cat that you three tried shadowing all those years ago." The copy nin replied, taking the photo back from his former student.

"No way, so it was all some kind of transformation jutsu?" The jinjuriki questioned, remembering the aforementioned feline.

"Yeah… something like that. Probably better to describe her as a were-cat from another world." At this the blonde's eyes widened, he had some gloating to do to a certain Uchiha sometime in the near future.

"So what happened between you guys?" The blonde asked hesitantly, knowing he was prying into very personal information about his sensei.

Closing his eyes as if looking for the right response Kakashi took a deep breath before answering. "We simply parted ways; each of us had our own responsibilities to take care of. A shinobi must always endure for the sake of his village, no matter what. Even if it means sacrificing one's personal happiness for the sake of the village." Glancing towards the window to hide his sorrowful expression from the blonde the former hokage faked a yawn. "I think that's enough for today Naruto, I'm feeling a bit tired."

Nodding solemnly the blonde rose from his seat and bid farewell to his sensei. Rising from his own seat the copy ninja made his way towards his bed, hoping sleep would alleviate the ache in his heart. _My life will always be filled with regrets, Rin, Obito, Sensei, Sasuke. But there's one thing I'll never regret and that's waiting for you Yoruichi, I will always love you. _With that final thought the copy ninja closed his eyes, never to open them again.

* * *

Kakashi Hatake was no stranger to near death experiences, or in his case actual death experiences. His death after his battle with Pain is what brought him closure with his long deceased father. And ultimately it's what signaled the passing of the torch from his generation to Naruto's. That being said, it didn't make his second after life experience any easier to understand.

Once more the copy ninja found himself slowly submerging in water, only this time his deceased comrades didn't come to pull him out of it. His only assumption was that he was headed towards hell, only fair considering how much time he spent reading Icha Icha. Suddenly the water started to dissipate all around him, causing the shinobi to land softly on his backside. Kakashi was surrounded in darkness; the only source of light was a dimly lit road leading to who knows where. Seeing no other option the copy ninja started following the road at a leisurely pace, he was in no hurry seeing as how he was dead now.

After spending what seemed like days walking along the road the former hokage saw a figure just ahead of him. The figure was covered in a black cloak which covered his entire body; all he could determine about the mysterious figure was that they were about the same height. Stopping before the cloaked individual Kakashi attempted to make sense of everything, still somewhat confused as to his purpose.

"What is this place? And who are you, some sort of Shinigami?" The shinobi questioned, remembering some conversations he had with Yoruichi years ago concerning her profession.

The shrouded figure shook its head and chuckled, pulling back its hood to reveal a man Kakashi knew all too well. In fact it was like looking in a mirror, same coal like eyes and silver hair, facial features more rugged than his own. It was the White Fang of the Leaf, Sakumo Hatake, a small smile on his face.

"Kakashi, long time no see."

"What's going on, I thought you-"

"Well I noticed you got a little lost out here so I thought I'd come down here to guide you." The old war hero answered as he began walking down the path. "It's funny actually, you getting lost here of all places."

"Where exactly is here?" The copy ninja questioned, feeling somewhat annoyed at not having any answers.

Motioning with his hands at the path they walked Sakumo answered. "This is the road of life… and death. Perhaps now you can see the humor in your situation?"

At this the former hokage had no choice but to chuckle, lost on the road of life, it seemed that the powers above had a sense of humor after all. Following his father the pair continued their trek through the darkness, using the dilapidated path as a guide to some unknown destination. Finally after what seemed like hours they came across a fork in the road, the destination of each path still unknown.

"Very interesting, I guess fate has given you a choice." The white fang declared, stopping at a fork in the road diverging into two separate directions.

"A choice?"

"You see, when people die there's usually two outcomes at the end of their road. For most they end up in the afterlife with their friends and family, and for others… we're forced to wait in purgatory. That usually means we left something unsettled before we died. As you can see, it would seem that you have a choice to make."

"Hmm, seems a little cliché don't you think?" The copy nin replied nonchalantly, somewhat curious as to the unfinished business he left in the world of the living.

"Well, cliché or not you still have a choice to make. So I guess I'll be off now, I don't want to keep your mother waiting." Sakumo started walking onto one of the paths, slowly vanishing into the darkness.

Logic dictated that Kakashi should just follow his father into the afterlife, reunite with all his friends and family once and for all. But another part of him was holding him back, closing his eyes the copy ninja could see her looking back at him, her catlike grin adorning her features. The choice seemed obvious to him now, eternal peace with his loved ones or staying in purgatory, possibly forever, on the off chance of seeing her again.

Pulling out a familiar orange colored book from his back pocket the copy ninja began walking down his chosen path. "At least I'll have Jiraiya's masterpiece to pass the time."

* * *

Fin

I may end up doing prequel and sequel stories on this pairing in the future. But another part of me thinks that there's something oddly satisfying to keeping the beginning and ending of this pairing a mystery. Either way hope you enjoyed.


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